The gun range I shoot at most often has an “Outlaw Run and Gun League” for a 6-week run. Last night was week 5 and I finally had a chance to go. I’ve been shooting for about a year and it’s my first competition. I messed up changing magazines a couple times, but my overall shooting went better than I expected and I’m pretty happy about it! There were 4 stages, one of them steel, 6 plates, and when I shot all 6 in 7 shots, the guys all waiting/watching behind me actually clapped!
I’ve been riding on that all day and probably will all weekend too. It was loads of fun and I’m going to the last one next week for sure, and can’t wait until they do another of these leagues.
Scoring isn’t published yet so I have no idea how I actually did, but it sure was fun! I’m really not half bad with a gun
I was the range officer for our practical pistol shooting for ten years and enjoyed every week of it. Unfortunately we can’t shoot steel here. Nothing like the satisfying “clang” as a tipper, popper or dropper goes down. Actually one of my favorite matches was a nearby club that shot .22 steel matches with a lot of running involved. Targets were real small, about 4" discs with a prop on the back to make them stand upright.
I did add rubber drop down silhouettes, but they don’t make any noise.
I have one suggestion, based on your comments about magazine changes. Try practicing your magazine changes in a completely dark room. This will help you do it by feel, rather than looking at the magazine or weapon. You want to be able to do it (literally) blindfolded. This is especially important if you are moving or tracking targets.
**ZonexandScout **, that’s a great tip, I will do that. My issue was even more basic than that, unfortunately. I shot the match with my carry gun - to answer **beowulff **- Springfield XD9 mod2 subcompact. As a polymer, and my only gun until January, I’ve been accustomed to the mag change procedure, including pretty much slamming the mag home when reloading to seat it properly.
HOWEVER, I got a new competition grade all steel heavy as hell pistol from Tanfoglio in early January. I’ve been shooting that one during practice since I got it, and it’s fussier than my polymer. Magazines must be fairly gently just push/clicked in. If I use the same force with the steel pistol as I do with the polymer, the slide releases from the lock position on its own, but doesn’t chamber the first round properly, so it misfeeds and jams.
I’m still waiting on custom magazine caps for the new gun, and it’s currently in the shop - long story - so I needed to do the match with my polymer - which I hadn’t shot since December. So my magazine issue was that I wasn’t punching them in like I needed to for that gun, and twice the chamber went unloaded with the mag sliding out as I unholstered and raised to target. Dumb rookie mistake, I didn’t press check or even check the chamber indicator, which is easy and tactile on this gun. Well, that’s what first times are for!
Results are finally in. I ranked 30 out of 65. I’m dang happy with that! I’m running the match again this Thursday and as long as my mag goofs are a thing of the past, I’m betting I’ll improve by 30% just from that!
Are you sure the applause wasn’t the result of you waving your gun around while howling about how you’d better hear some clapping or else? That’s what I did. I mean, I think I’m pretty much barred from entering that Taco Bell ever again, but it felt like the right thing to do at the time.
Springfield XD9 mod2 subcompact, my carry weapon and have been shooting it since April last year. Good little polymer with probably 2,600 rounds through it.
After seeing what all 65 other people were carrying in their holsters I’m not sure I want to break out the shiny competition pistol I just bought, though. I think lots of the people at the match are LEO or Military and all I saw were black polymers (so many Glocks). There might have been a black steel here or there but they didn’t stand out like my Tanfoglio will. I’m a little self-conscious about looking like a tool with that on my hip…
Shoot what you enjoy and can hit with. The indoor PPC-type course we have I usually shoot with a S&W Model 10 snub and my .30 Luger. The Luger gets some wise-cracks but I really love the feel and its also the one I use in the military pistol league so I don’t have to stay current with two different guns. And since I’m almost always around the top 10% ----------------
